Archive for 2008

2009 Championship DatesCollege Round of 16 April 17,18 & 19

College Finals May 1 & 2

Men’s Club Playoffs rd of 16 May 16 & 17

HS & U19 Championships May 29, 30, 31

Men’s club finals May 30 & 31

Women’s club TBD

USA Rugby Names its Squads for the First Portion of the North America 4 Tournament 

BOULDER, Colo. - USA Rugby officially announced the players selected to make up the USA Hawks and USA Falcons squads set to play in the first portion of the International Rugby Board’s North America 4 tournament in early July.

The first match, held on July 10 and hosted at Mount Hood Community College in Oregon, will feature the USA Falcons, which consists primarily of Pacific Coast players, against their eastern U.S. rivals, the Hawks. The two American teams will then travel up to Vancouver Island, British Columbia for a dual double-header against their Canadian counterparts, Canada West and Canada East, on July 15 and July 19.

The IRB NA 4 will then take a 10-day break before heading into the last portion of the event at Glendale’s Infinity Park, just four miles from downtown Denver, for both the semifinal and final rounds of this year’s tournament.

This is the third year that the IRB has hosted this popular cross-border competition featuring two elite representative teams from both Canada and the USA. Over 80 percent of the players representing Canada and the USA at Rugby World Cup 2007 had participated in the Tournament and there is no doubt the IRB North America 4 serves as an invaluable preparation tool for the Test arena.

This year’s USA Falcons squad includes:

Errol Allard (Belmont Shore)

Naki Angilau ( Park City Haggis)

William Brazier (Old Blue)

Luke Council (Cal Poly/USA All-American)

Peter Dahl (Belmont Shore)

Jason Engelbrecht (Dallas Harlequins)

Vaha Esikia (Las Vegas)

Gary Golding (University of California/ USA All American)

Mark Kernen (Belmont Shore)

Jon Kollerer (Olympic Club)

Saimone Laulaupeaalu (San Francisco Golden Gate)

Mark Litke (Old Puget Sound Beach)

Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore)

Tyson Meek (Denver Barbarians)

Mate Moeakiola (Pukekohe, NZ)

Jone Naqica (San Francisco Golden Gate)

Zachary Pangelinan (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club)

Shawn Pittman (San Francisco Golden Gate/ USA u20)

Rikus Pretorius (University of California/ USA All American)

Volney Rouse (San Francisco Golden Gate)

Derek Smith (Brigham Young University/ USA All American)

Louis Stanfill (University of California/ USA All American)

Jared Wolfgramm (Belmont Shore)

Jesse Taylor (Santa Monica)

Mose Timoteo (San Francisco Golden Gate)

Tim Usasz (Nottingham).

The Falcons Coaching and Management team consists of Pacific Region High Performance Manager Matt Sherman, Head Coach Ray Lehner (Olympic Club), Asst. Coach Mike Saunders (Snake River), Scrum Coach Bill LeClerc, Strength and Conditioning Coach Jeremy Bettle, Team Manager Craig Brown (Western Washington University), Physiotherapist Matt Nerri, Pacific Region Medical Coordinator Maury Hayashida, Film Analyst Dan Payne (San Diego State University) and Nutritional Consultant Adam Russell.

The Hawks squad consists of:

Phil Abraham (Chicago Lions)

Mark Aylor (Life University )

Justin Boyd (Dallas Harlequins)

Owen Collins (Boston Irish Wolfhounds)

Josh Dean (Air Force Men)

James Denise (New York Athletic Club)

Brian Doyle (NYAC)

Nathan Michael Ebner (The Ohio State University/USA All-American)

Michael Graham (Glendale Raptors)

Taylor Howden (Glendale Raptors)

Justin Hundley (NYAC)

Brian Lemay (Boston Irish Wolfhounds)

Nicholas Johnson (Denver Barbarians)

Travis Meidinger (Denver Barbarians)

Keikiokalani Misipeka (Pearl City)

Brian Olmes (Potomac Athletic Club)

Michael Petri (NYAC)

Patrick Quinn (Denver Barbarians)

Shawn Rafferty (NYAC)

Steven Sablan (PAC/USA u20)

Chad Slaby (Chicago Lions)

Brendan Thompson (Life University)

Phil Thiel (Life University)

John Van der Giessen (Denver Barbarians)

John Vitale (Chicago Lions)

The Hawks Coaching and Management team consists of Head Coach Marty Wiggins (Chicago Lions), Strength and Conditioning Coach David Williams (Denver Barbarians), Backs Coach Adam Friend (Pearl City), Scrum Coach Bill LeClerc, Manager Kenneth Holliday (Combined Services/PAC), Physiotherapist Kristen Douhand, Physiotherapist Travis Webb, Video & Film Analysis Daniel Yarusso (SUNY-Stony Brook) and Nutritional Consultant Adam Russell.

Thought I would send you a report on this past weekends results from the South Florida Select Side U - 20 teams results in the Pittsburgh Challenge Cup . First and foremost Coaches Bill Marts , Don Stramanak and Jeff Oxenrider all should be Congratulated for a job well done. The team finished in second place.
This is the third year that these gentlemen took it upon their own initiative to put a traveling squad together and compete against other upper level teams throughout the country. Because of their respective efforts the very first year drew attention to Florida Youth rugby. The result was some of our athletes were chosen to go to U.S.A. Rugby camps and several have now played for the U-17 ,18 and 19 U.S.A. Junior Eagles Teams respectively, playing both abroad and here in the United States.
Several of our teams have now had players recognized as stand out players and they include , Trojans , Brevard Red Eyes , Naples and now Weston. Those players that have been selected and played at the Junior Eagle level and or recently selected are Cameron Dolan ; Brandon Grey ; Brian Hussey ; Shane Young ; Wes Haughton ; Jamie Penca and recently invited to a camp Alex Tucci.
There have been several others that have been invited to camps to compete at the highest levels. In their ( Florida’s ) inaugural year they placed last , the second year , fourth and this year placed second . Each year with major improvements noted by many.

The Coaches had several practices with the 26 player roster that traveled to Pittsburgh and they gelled as a unit and an observer may have thought that this team had played together as a unit all season long. They all worked well and in unison while they competed for top honors at the tournament. The coaches were able to move players in many positions and each athlete performed well and complimented and supported each other in each game.

South Florida soundly defeated Minnesota in the first game and served as a terrific beginning as that team defeated Florida one year ago in Baltimore. They went on to the second game and demonstrated good sound fundamentals against EPRU ( Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union ) and defeated them which brought the first day to a close with a 2 - 0 record. The second day of competition made it very clear that South Florida needed to win in order to play for a Title match. Florida was matched up against Met New York for the first match of the day which they won before going on to lose a close final to North Carolina.

Players from all the various teams that participated put in an outstanding effort. Those teams were from Trojan Rugby ; North East Nomads ; Weston Rugby ; Jupiter Rugby ; Tampa Bay Pelicans ; North Broward Prep and Naples Bears. Some of the other payers were from F.S.U. ; U.C.F.; Edison College , and F.G.C.U. .

An example of the impact that the tour had on both the players , coaches and fans can be summed up in a letter written by the President of the Delaware Rugby Foundation Jerry Humphrey to the organizer Kurt Mockenhaupt of the Potomac Rugby Foundation when he said ” A special nod, in my opinion , should go to both Florida and Carolina programs. The parental support shown as well as the concentration on solid rugby tradition by these two groups makes me want to do more. I was especially proud to see the Florida team line up to cheer for a fallen opponent on the main field “. Florida displayed both class and great sportsmanship in spite of several obstacles. Each young man had terrific learning lessons and all of the young men showed mature attitudes throughout the tour. Florida Rugby can be proud of their teams !

The effort and experience that the Coaches displayed in their handling of all the details of a traveling side and the demeanor and the appreciation that the players responded with was a terrific example of the strides and gains for Florida Youth Rugby in our short four year history. Each player got to experience a higher level of rugby while others got a sense of what the game has to offer besides playing for their individual teams. The boys bonded and by the end of the tournament one would think that these young men have known each other their entire lives. Each gained a new love for the game and a respect for the athletes that play it. The venue that we played at was the same location that the U.S.A.Rugby held the High School Championships. It was held at the Pittsburgh Harlequins Founders Field. They were tremendous hosts and have awesome facilities. Additionally , our South Florida Select Side U- 20 team was also the first and probably the last Rugby team to ever play and practice on the Pittsburgh Steelers playing field in their home stadium. They also got to tour the facility and experience the players locker rooms as well as the private sky boxes and press rooms. They now know what it is like to play in a stadium that sits in excess of 63,000 fans. They got to run the field , which no other group ever has been privileged to do. The Coaches thank Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive tackle Chris Hoke for giving the Rugby team special access and privileges while visiting. The tour was a complete success and the players that traveled walk away with many terrific memories.

A special thanks to the following for thier support of our tour , Sunshine Supplemental Eductional Services ( Tutoring ) , Larry Fox U.S.A.Rugby Coach , Naples Hammerheads Men’s Rugby Club ; Ft. Lauderdale Men’s club ; Ft. Lauderdale Rugby Foundation ; U.S.A.Rugby South ; Florida Rugby Union ; Trojan Rugby Club ; Naples Bears Rugby Club ; ; Pittsburgh Harlequin Rugby Club and Parents of thier High School team ; Pittsburgh Steeler Football Team , specifically Chris Hoke . All the parents and family members that attended .

 In closing , the coaches Bill Marts , Dave Stamanak , and Jeff Oxenrider deserve big Kudos from the entire state of Florida for their time , effort and energy !! Well done.

Cheers,

Steve –

July 1, 2008 

Greetings TU and LAU Administrators!

 We have recently updated some of our Membership Forms. We will now be accepting electronic request forms for players looking to transfer teams and for those requesting dual roles. Members will be able to assign dual roles at the time of membership, but if they acquire another role later on in the season we can accommodate their changes here. We hope that this shift to electronic request forms will help with our turn around rate and aid us in our communication with member requests. You can view these valuable administrative forms at the following link:

www.usarugby.org/goto/Membership_Forms

Administrative Tip:

Please keep in mind that all individual and club registration will expire on August 31, 2008 and Certificates of Liability Insurance will expire on September 1, 2008. New certificates will need to be issued after this date and will grant coverage from September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2009. Before members submit an electronic request for a certificate, the club must be registered and have at least 15 individuals registered in order to be granted coverage.

Thank you and have a fantastic Fourth of July weekend!

Kristin Richeimer
USA Rugby
Director, Membership Relations

The Men’s 2008 Florida Cup Schedule has been posted here

AGM Minutes will be posted within the week.

USA Rugby boss Nigel Melville will come to Wellington this week and tell Sanzar executives his nation is ready to be part of Super Rugby.

The former England halfback and coach of Wasps and Gloucester says the USA is flexible enough to base a franchise on either the East or West coasts and that there are investors and broadcasters ready to fund an American Super Rugby team.

Read entire article here: NZ Herald

At the AGM yesterday a number of people asked where and when the next coachig courses were. Attached is the latest list from USARU, Remmeber FRU will cover the fee upon getting certified.

If FRU is to try again to host we need at least 20 firm commitments in writing. John Devonport

Greetings all Unions:

The Coach Development Program (CDP) summer season is underway with the first workshops taking place this weekend in Providence, RI. We in the Coach Development Department wanted to take this time to make certain you are all aware of the summer schedule, as well as the deadlines to apply for the fall and spring seasons. Please share this information with all clubs in your union and be sure to post it on your websites. USA Rugby needs your help to spread the word at the local level about coaching workshops. USA Rugby appreciates the work done by TU’s, LAU’s and clubs to help with hosting coaching workshops and improving rugby as a whole.

USA Rugby summer coaching workshop schedule:

Date
Location
Host

July 12-13
Omaha, NE
Westside RFC

July 19-20
San Marcos, TX
TSU Rugby Club

July 26-27
Tulsa, OK
Green Country High School Rugby Council

July 26-27
Washington, DC
Potomac Rugby Union

August 2-3
Chicago, IL
Illinois Youth Rugby

August 9-10
Piscataway, NJ
Rutgers University

August 16-17
Des Moines, IA
Des Moines Rugby Football Club

Two workshops will run concurrently (Developing Rugby Skills and Introducing Rugby) in separate classrooms on the same weekend. The workshops will start at 9:00 AM both days and be finished Saturday at 6:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM.

USA Rugby is currently accepting host applications for fall and spring workshops. The application deadline for fall is July 1st and spring is October 1st. This information can also be found at www.usarugby.org/goto/cdp

Florida Ruggers

As you all know, the AGM is this Sunday at the Orlando Science Center.
All the information that you need is here: http://www.floridarugbyunion.com/meetings
Reports have also been posted.
To get free parking at OSC, mention that you are there for the FRU AGM.

Each team MUST send 1 representative. Proxy’s are not allowed.

We also ask that you stop posting to the Yahoo groups, as they will all be shut down this weekend.
Subscribe to the new site at http://www.floridarugbyunion.com/subscribe

Thank You

Juice

I am almost embarrassed to publish this - 6 days to decide whether to invest $ 5-6000 in one’s rugby future ridiculous. John DevonportFor Immediate Release

June 17, 2008

USA Rugby Partners with International Rugby Academy of NZ, Infinity Park to Offer High Performance Development Courses

BOULDER, Colo. - USA Rugby, in partnership with the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand (IRANZ) and Infinity Park, Glendale, is excited to announce a world class development opportunity for players and coaches in the USA, with courses held in Glendale, Colo. in July and August of 2008.

Created by All Black legend Murray Mexted, the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand is looking to bring its prestigious development academy to American soil for the first time ever through proposed High Performance courses for players and coaches at Infinity Park, Glendale on July 28-August 13 and August 2-13, respectively.

The IRANZ places primary focus on high performance with emphasis on position specific coaching and includes an impressive lineup of former international coaches and players, including Mexted, former All Blacks Craig Dowd, Jeff Wilson, Grant Fox, Keith Robinson, and USA Eagles RWC 2007 Head Coach Peter Thorburn.

The High Performance Player Course geared toward national team caliber athletes 18 years and older would feature skills and fitness training, as well as specialized instruction by player position during the 17 day period. The registration cost for the course, which runs from July 28-August 13 is $6,000 and includes instruction, accommodation, meals, coaching materials and shirt.

Aimed at elite coaches, coaches hoping to build toward the next level and former players with coaching aspirations, the two week long High Performance Coaching Course would run alongside the players’ course on August 2-13. Coach cost is $5,000 USA and also includes instruction, accommodations, meals, coaching materials and shirt.

In order to make this unique offer a success, USA Rugby and Infinity Park are working to tight deadlines to meet the availability of the IRANZ specialist coaches and support staff. The application deadline is this coming Monday, June 23.

Interested players and coaches may register by submitting the attached registration form to Mark Bullock, Director of Rugby, City of Glendale, at InternationalRugbyAcademy@glendalerugby.com or by fax at 303.584.4183. Any questions or requests for more information should also be directed to Mark at 303.639.4710 or 303.472.7395.

Inspiring America to fall in love with Rugby
Ashley Voss | Communications Coordinator | USA Rugby

Florida needs coaches - sadly these are far away but if you want to qualify……… and remember your Union will pay the fee upon qualification.

Important to note that the old coacjhing qualifications are no more, so those that are “level one level two” claimants are not any more. Need to update and take the new modules if you want to remain qualified.

 USA Rugby Announces Summer Coach Workshop Schedule

The 2008 summer USA Rugby Coach Certification Workshops are here! There are currently two workshops, Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills, being offered this summer. Both workshops are all day Saturday and Sunday (only register for one).

SUMMER 2008 CDP SCHEDULE

DATE
LOCATION
WORKSHOP

June 28-29, 2008
Providence, RI
Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills

July 12-13, 2008
Omaha, NE
Introducing Rugby

July 19-20, 2008
San Marcos, TX
Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills

July 26-27, 2008
Tulsa, OK
Introducing Rugby

July 26-27, 2008
Washington, DC
Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills

Aug 2-3, 2008
Chicago, IL
Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills

Aug 9-10, 2008
Piscataway, NJ
Introducing Rugby and Developing Rugby Skills

Aug 16-17, 2008
Des Moines, IA
Introducing Rugby

Don’t miss your chance to register early for $125, so get online and get involved! Remember, the old CAP level 1, 2 & 3 accreditation is no longer offered and to remain certified you will need to participate in the updated program.

To register for a workshop and find out more about USA Rugby’s Coach Development Program please visit www.usarugby.org/goto/cdp or contact Kate Strickland, kstrickland@usarugby.org or 303-539-0300 ext 129.

Introducing Rugby - This course is designed for coaches that spend most of their time introducing the game to new players. It is ideal for high school head coaches and college and club assistant coaches. The focus is being able to implement the fundamentals of the game to players that have little or no experience.

Developing Rugby Skills - This course is designed for coaches focused on working with players with experience and aspiring to help those players play at a higher level. The course work is ideal for head coaches and those that are involved in club and all-star play. There is an emphasis on identifying key factors, practice planning, game sense and skill development.